President Donald Trump made quite the entrance — and an even bigger headline — during Sunday’s Detroit Lions vs. Washington Commanders game in D.C.
Old photo of Trump
Arriving nearly 80 minutes after kickoff, Trump was met with a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd as cameras caught him stepping into a suite alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The appearance marked the first time in almost five decades that a sitting U.S. president attended a regular-season NFL game.
But it wasn’t just the crowd’s reaction that got people talking — it was also what happened once Trump joined the FOX Sports broadcast booth in the third quarter.
Sitting between play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert and analyst Jonathan Vilma, Trump fielded a few lighthearted questions about his old football days at the New York Military Academy. FOX even showed an old photo of Trump posing with his football team at the NYMA.
Vilma joked, “So we were trying to look up your stats. How many touchdowns did you have back then? Six? Seven?”
For someone who prides himself on being a winner, Trump’s answer was surprisingly humble — and a bit awkward. “I’m not sure I had any,” he admitted. “It was a long time ago… At least you realize that I never tell a lie, right?”
The moment went viral almost instantly, with many viewers unsure if Trump was being tongue-in-cheek or dead serious. Trump, who’s not exactly known for sticking to the truth, didn’t escape fact-checkers’ attention either. NBC counted at least 12 false claims during his joint address to Congress in March.
During the short, eight-minute interview, Trump also took the opportunity to talk politics, criticize President Biden, and even call a play on-air.
“I think this is a very important couple of plays. Second and seven, let’s see what happens. Well, that’s alright. Not bad. Good runner,” he said during his third-quarter commentary.
“This is a very big play, don’t you think? They have to get a touchdown, let’s put it differently, they just have to get a touchdown,” he added.
Naming new stadium after Trump?
But when the topic turned back to sports, his tone softened.
“I just love it,” he said. “It’s a microcosm of life — the good, the bad, and the ugly. You have the triumphs, you have the problems, but you can never quit. You can never give up.”
The bond between Trump and the Commanders appears stronger than ever. During the game, Trump received a framed Commanders jersey with his name and the number 47 from team owner Josh Harris.
His appearance came just a day after an ESPN report claimed Trump wants the team’s upcoming stadium named after him. While neither the White House nor the Commanders have confirmed the rumor, press secretary Karoline Leavitt notably stopped short of denying it.
Back in July, Trump warned he might block the stadium project unless the team reinstated its old “Redskins” name, dropped in 2022 for being offensive to Native Americans. So far, the Commanders have shown no sign of reconsidering the change.
